


Aftermath

by Butterfly



Series: A Perfect Possible Future [7]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-01-06
Updated: 2004-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-17 13:29:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/177325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Butterfly/pseuds/Butterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, what you need most is your best friend.</p><p>Written for the_red_shoes. Set post-<i>Chosen</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

"We're alive." His voice was rough now, from the crying that he hadn't wanted her to see.

Willow glanced over at Xander, the eyepatch still a jolt. She rubbed her arms to stop a shiver. "Yeah, we are."

They'd been like this for the last couple of hours - just sitting mostly, not talking a lot. The erratic bumping of the bus was familiar, for all that it wasn't the same kind as the ones that they'd ridden on ages ago when Sunnydale High had been old. But the feeling of it was the same, and she could almost taste the memories.

Riding back from the Zoo, knowing that something was wrong with a quiet Xander. A quiet Xander had never led to good things, at least not in Willow's experience. She bit her lip to keep it still and very deliberately reached over to slid her hand into Xander's. He looked over at her, understanding in his eye, and he carefully twisted his hand around, slipping his fingers inbetween hers, tightening their grip. She smiled, tremulously but genuinely.

Her gaze drank in his face, every speck of dirt and blood being carefully noted and filed away. Even with all that, he was still as beautiful as he'd been the day when she'd realized that she really loved him. He'd never stopped being beautiful, even when she'd stopped wanting him.

It was right, the two of them, here together, after the world hadn't ended. Big things were going to be happening soon, but as long as they still had this, she knew that she'd be okay.

She squeezed his hand and scooted closer, relaxing against his shoulder.

They were both still alive, and that was enough.


End file.
